The life and times of past residents
The life and times of Easthaven have been beautifully captured in these photographs. Many of the old black and white photographs were taken by a young woman known as Molly Affleck. Molly’s family moved from South Africa to Easthaven in the early part of the 1900’s and lived in 3 Station Row. Molly’s parents owned a camera which was a very rare luxury in those days. When she wasn’t working at the Dalhousie Hotel in Carnoustie, Molly liked nothing more, than to photograph the villagers as they went about their daily lives. We are very grateful to Eric Duncan for his stories which accompany the photographs the Duncan family have so kindly shared.
Bee Gathering!
What a great photo sent to us by Dorrie, John and Jean Millin. Anybody recognise Sandy Norrie? He is on the back row in the middle of the group of three flat capped gents on the right. Dorrie thinks this photograph was taken on the Panmure estate at one of the bee gatherings. Dorrie's cousin Derek is in the photograph too (second from the left, front row) and from his age she thinks the photograph would have been taken around 1950. Jean's Dad is third from the left on the back row with his flat cap on. His name was Alfred Alexander Anderson.
The Auld Fishermen's Shelter
The Shelter was just like a windbreak and the Auld Fishermen would spend their days at the shelter telling stories standing at the side that would be sheltered from the wind. This is taken at the Shelter before the new bit was added. The notice that is painted on the side reads, NO WC HEAR. Eck Norrie said, “That’s not how you spell Hear”. Wullie said, “No, How dae you spell it then”.
Left to Right in the Photograph above is:
Auld Jeck(Jack) Duncan; Bob Bisset; Sandy Herd, at the back is Erne(Ernest) Duncan and Eric Duncan, Jimmy Herd, Wullie Herd with young Geordie Duncan then Young Jack Duncan.
Happy days! This photograph shows a group of young men and women enjoying the opportunity of a photo-call on the bents. On the far right at the back is Eric Duncan’s mother, Bella Blair. At the front from left to right is; a young Bob Lyall, Jo Watt and Tommy Watt. Jo and Tommy’s family had shop in a corrugated building at the west-end of Station Row which sold just about everything from shoe-laces to groceries and hardware
This photograph was taken outside the Duncan’s family home at 3 Long Row. From left to right is Eric Duncan, old George Lyall, Fred Duncan (baby at front) George Duncan and Ernie Duncan. The Duncan’s later moved to No10 Long Row where his father Ernest extended and upgraded the property to accommodate his wife and four growing boys. Ernest worked in Winters shoe factory in Carnoustie and used discarded plywood packing to line the floor of No10. At this time Eric’s grandfather John Duncan still lived in No1 Shore Row but maintained a garden on the hill to the right of Tankerville. He was both a gardener and a fisherman and as the growing conditions at the shore were poor this allowed him to cultivate vegetables and plants. Years later, Eric built a house on the site which is now number 7 Tankerville. Although he lived there for a few years he missed being down at the shore and eventually moved into his grandfather’s cottage amongst the boats and the fishermen.
This is a favourite picture. Eric and George Duncan playing innocently on an old concrete seat outside 3 Long Row. This was no ordinary seat though, as it was built to conceal a hollow space in which things could be stored and hidden. Following the torpedoing and sinking of a cargo ship by a submarine just off Bell Rock, hundreds of tins of gammon and butter were washed ashore at Easthaven. The war had just begun and villagers collected hundreds of tins and rolls of butter from open barrels on the beach. The women of the village braved the cold waters to wade in and lift sealed barrels from the water which they were able to sell on to local shop owners. Easthaven’s own Whisky Galore!
Molly probably took this photograph of Eck Norrie as he prepared to set off on an important journey. Could this have been Eck setting off on his trip to America? Eck was a carpenter and lived and worked in San Francisco for a number of years. He witnessed at first hand and survived the great San Francisco earthquake.